Spanakopita (recipe)

During chat 2 weeks ago i mentioned that I had spanakopita (spinach-feta cheese pie) for lunch and many people asked me for the recipe. FINALLY, here is my recipe for spanakopita!

Spanakopita (Greek Spinach-Feta Pie)  
(makes 8 servings)

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons + 1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds spinach, rinsed and chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 egg yolk (for brushing top)
1/2 cup ricotta or cottage cheese (optional)
1 cup crumbled feta cheese (use more if you don't use ricotta, I like to double it!)
8 sheets phyllo dough (we make our own dough with just flour, salt and water, thicker than fyllo, and use only one layer top and bottom) 
PLENTY of black pepper
salt to taste (optional)  

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9x9 inch square baking pan.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, green onions and garli****il soft and lightly browned. Stir in spinach and dill, and continue to saute until spinach is limp, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, STRAIN, and set aside to cool (important step!).
3. In a bowl, mix together whole eggs, salt, pepper, ricotta, and feta. Stir in spinach mixture. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough in prepared baking pan, and brush lightly with olive oil. Lay another sheet of phyllo dough on top, brush with olive oil, and repeat process with two more sheets of phyllo. Spread spinach and cheese mixture into pan and fold overhanging dough over filling. Brush with oil, then layer remaining 4 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each with oil. DON'T brush top of top sheet with oil.  Tuck overhanging dough into pan to seal filling.
4. Brush top sheet of pie lightly with lightly beaten (with fork) egg yolk.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown. Cut into squares and serve hot or cold. 

This recipe comes to about 500 calories per serving, but the pieces are very large. You can lighten it by using light cottage cheese, varying the proportions of feta to cottage cheese and/or (what I do) eat only 1/2 serving!

Have a great weekend!
Amalia
 

Thanks for sharing! For those who need to avoid the dough, you could probably omit it and just use nonstick cooking spray on the pan. This too will reduce calories. Sounds like a delish dish and a nice protein content too!

Thanks Amalia, I plan to try it without the crust. Sounds nummy. Hugs

OK, because you guys are discussing "no crust", I feel I have to warn you that spanakopita with no crust does not taste good - to me at least. So, I have two suggestions to tweak this recipe without losing the "pie" from the spinach pie! 
Tweak #1 is the most difficult and it involves making a simple dough with flour, a  little water and salt and opening it into two thin, flat surfaces. Place one on the bottom of the spanakopita, then the filling and then the top layer of dough. This tweak will save you all those oil calories that need to go between the fyllo layers, but the end result will be a "heavier" pie.
Tweak #2 is an actual recipe for "crustless" spanakopita they make in some villages. Omit the fyllo. Add to the spinach mix 1/2 -1 cup all purpose flour (you can play around with this) and mix well. After spraying or oiling your pan, dust it with a thin layer of flour. Spread mix in floured pan. Sprinkle a thin layer of breadcrumbs on top of the spanakopita and bake for about 20 minutes.
This will result in a "lighter" pie with a lot less calories and you won't miss the crust so much.

Enjoy!

Thanks Amalia, I will try the original, run it past Dennis and tweek it to suit my tastes.  I might even use some of my carbquik flour to sample the difference.  I will share the results.  The menu is booked for the weekend, let's see what next week brings.  Hugs